


Upon Far Reefs

by harinezumiko



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Genre: Ballroom Dancing, Cruise Ships, Friendship, M/M, Recovery, Suicidal Thoughts, Teasing, Tourism, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2019-08-21 08:39:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16573289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harinezumiko/pseuds/harinezumiko
Summary: A cruise sounds like a great idea to Fubuki, master of relationships, to keep the gang together after they've graduated. He's even managed to get most of them together for a week of all-you-can-everything. Ryo was going to give it a miss, until he heard Judai was also going to make the trip...





	1. Theban Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

  * For [VioVayo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/VioVayo/gifts).



> "Come, Nyssa, O, my beauty! lo! I puff  
> Away the lamp's faint life; its sickly strife  
> But hurts and dims the gentle, silent blaze  
> Of stars that crowd, like eyes, to gaze at thee,  
> Thy beauty, and at me, my love – for that  
> Is not more great than this my passion, vast  
> As all the drowning ocean of sweet space  
> That floods our breasts, and breaks upon far reefs  
> Of eminent sharp stars.  
> And gloomy, too,  
> My love is, as the midnight-sea unsailed  
> Of any moon. For, sweet, men die for love;  
> But who, save me, hath murdered for his love?  
> Yet I have bathed these hands up to their wrists  
> In hot, swift blood for just my love of thee,  
> That these same red-stained hands might clasp thy waist  
> And know the silken softness of thy hair.”
> 
> Extract from “Gyges’ Ring”, A Dramatic Monologue by Rupert Hughes (Public Domain)

Marufuji Ryo wasn’t unfamiliar with love. Love was putting up with your best friend’s antics, or guiding your younger brother to personal growth. Love was the swell of pride in your chest at seeing your signature monster unfurl its shining wings. Love was treasured memories, unspoken understandings, and mutual respect.

This was something new.

This was a maddening itch within the soul, a burning intensified by contact. A dark voice that whispered temptingly that Hell Kaiser took what he wanted, and _he_ should be no exception. A silent earthquake that rocked his core, drowning out the voices around him, making him ache to rake his fingernails down skin and-

“Ryo?”

A hand waved in front of his face and he blinked.

“Ryo, are you ok? You kinda zoned out there.” Fubuki pouted in concern.

“I’m fine.” Ryo looked around the dining table and offered a quick, tight smile which did nothing to allay the worried expressions of those gathered. He could stand it no longer. The implication that the once-great Kaiser Ryo was beaten, _weak_ , was evident in their hushed voices and snatched glances. Even his one-time confidante, Asuka. Even _Judai_.

Ryo pushed his chair back and offered a stilted bow. “If you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll take a walk.” Fubuki rose too, but Ryo put a hand on his shoulder to return him to his seat. “Good night, all.”

* * *

It was impossible to be alone on the cruise ship. Everywhere Ryo went there were lights, noise, people. The upper decks were far too busy, as partiers were starting to head to the bars and casinos and clubs, so he found himself returning to the stateroom.

He was sharing a room with Sho, and if that wasn’t enough, Fubuki and Manjoume were in the next room. He was lucky at least that the stewards hadn’t unlocked the connecting door. The others were still at dinner, Sho guilelessly hanging off every word of Judai’s tales of adventure. A tightness clutched at Ryo’s chest. All the medication he took for his heart couldn’t touch that.

Ryo swung the doors open to the balcony and hung over the rail. His hair lashed about his face, salt spray-stiffened. The waters below seemed barely perturbed by the ship’s passage, lapping up against the hull and smoothing over the scar of the wake. No memory of their presence would be gouged into the moonless ocean.

What had it been worth, to wash up on that shore? He’d perished in a blaze of his own creation, searing his existence into hearts and worlds, paving the way for Judai to reclaim his birthright. It had been a perfect end. But now, granted a chance to live beyond his limits, the magazines said the Kaiser was past his best. They said he was fit only for retirement. They said he should make way for new talent.

So many reasons to die. What reason to live?

And yet, his hands clutched the rail, his feet remained planted firm upon the gently rolling deck.

* * *

They had made port in Safaga in the early hours. The sun rose on the convoy of coaches as it wound through the dusty terrain. It was less barren than Ryo had imagined, as squat shrubs or occasional trees broke the monotony of the road. The coach driver, though, cheerfully announced that some of the trees were fake.

Fubuki had taken it upon himself to sit next to Ryo but, after a little light chatter, had fallen asleep against the window. Manjoume and Sho squabbled in front of them. Asuka and Judai on the other side tried to listen to the tour guide. Even dressed in a dull olive-green shirt, Judai stood out against the landscape through the window, his presence magnified, his profile magnetic, more vibrant than the waters of the canal beyond.

On the approach to Luxor they passed through the final police checkpoint, with a reminder not to take pictures. Ryo patted Fubuki on the shoulder. “Time to wake up, sleeping beauty. We’re almost there.”

Fubuki stirred and stretched his shoulders, yawning, before flopping his head on to Ryo’s shoulder. “Kiss me then, my prince.”

Ryo shook him off, not unkindly. “Might I remind you that this trip was your idea, and here you are ignoring a road lined with a thousand sphinxes because you didn’t spend last night sleeping.”

“Woah!” Fubuki ignored the bait and pressed up to the window to take a look as the coach drove past. “Imagine walking up that aisle to get married.”

“Yes, I suppose it would suit your ego. But do you really want to risk being upstaged by the scenery?”

Fubuki pouted and cupped his chin in his hands before bursting into a smile. “A gold-embroidered suit and a twinkle in my eye would fix that! And maybe they could make it into a canal filled with lotus flowers, and I could arrive on the prow of a crystal boat…”

“Does Manjoume-kun know you have this all planned out?” deadpanned Ryo. Manjoume’s head jerked around at the mention of his name.

“A guy can dream.” A flash of Fubuki’s white teeth against his tanned skin set Manjoume’s smile to simpering, a faint flush crossing his cheeks. Ryo felt a jealous pang which he decided not to examine too closely. He picked up the guidebook from where it was stowed in the seat pocket and flicked aggressively through.

* * *

The sky hung a muted grey-yellow over the tourist caravan as they pushed on foot up the stone steps towards the temple. The day was not yet at its hottest, but the exertion was already taking its toll on Ryo. Beads of sweat dripped uncomfortably down his back and stuck the checked cotton sleeves of his shirt to his arms. His breath came hard and noisily, and he couldn’t ignore the unnatural speed of his heartbeat. He resigned himself to relying more on his stick, and paused for breath part way up the steps, using his phone camera as cover.

Fubuki, already at the top of the steps with the others, bounced back down. “Come on, Ryo, don’t take pictures of the coach park. The good stuff’s up here.”

“I’ll meet you shortly,” said Ryo with a forced smile.

“Hey, you don’t look so good. Do you want to go back?” Fubuki rested his forehead against Ryo’s to check his temperature.

Ryo stepped back. “No,” he said vehemently.

“Well then, want a piggyback?” Fubuki removed his wide-brimmed canvas hat and dropped to an inviting crouch.

“Most definitely not!”

“Ok,” Fubuki bit his lip as he straightened up, and studied Ryo’s face seriously. “Take it easy, then. We’ve got so many awesome things planned, I wouldn’t want you to wipe out on the first outing.”

“I’m fine,” said Ryo through gritted teeth.

“If you say so!” Fubuki squashed his hat on Ryo’s head and skipped back up the steps, whooping to cover Ryo’s shout.

The small break had helped. Ryo managed to make it up the rest of the steps. At first sight the Temple of Abidos seemed small and squat, nestling beyond fragments of collapsed pillars, but Ryo quickly recognised it as an optical illusion from the wide and deep approach of the forecourt. He hung back from the main group, the better to appreciate the construction undisturbed, and admire the flame of Judai’s hair against the unyielding stone. Pharoah peeked out from Judai’s backpack and locked judgemental eyes with his observer. Ryo wondered idly what the sentence for smuggling animals was. It wouldn’t matter, Judai seemed to exist beyond legality these days.

Birdsong emanated from the temple as they approached, the occasional dark shape flitting between the pillars but largely unseen. It was cooler within the temple, and darker. Ryo removed Fubuki’s hat to get a better view of the reliefs stretching the full height of the columns and into the beams supporting the massive roof. The carvings were deep and easy to make out, despite the weathering and flaked paint.

A shaft of sunlight struck the base of a pillar ahead. Ryo watched the tour group pass through, shading their eyes at the sudden brightness, while Judai skirted around the opposite edge of the pillar. The tour guide passed occasional explanation backed by the excited chittering of tourists.

“…and if you’ll look way up there, you’ll see what some have claimed as evidence of advanced machinery in ancient times…”

“It’s Gyroid!” Sho’s voice burst out from somewhere in front. Ryo looked for his brother’s paler blue hair among the crowd.

“…researchers have found it’s actually one carving on top of another, and as that wore away, the composite image formed…”

“And there’s Submarineroid, and UFOroid!” Sho’s excitement was reaching fever pitch.

“Guys, I think I found Panther Warrior!” Fubuki’s voice came from further down the hall. The duelists scattered, running amid the pillars, looking for the ancestral remnants of their livelihood.

All except Ryo and Judai.

Judai slipped away, unseen by the others, back out of the temple and down the steps. Ryo followed quietly, not making any great effort to remain unobserved, but not wishing to disturb Judai in his mission. The heat had now set in for the day but leaving the temple seemed easier to Ryo than entering it had been.

Judai paused at the bottom of the steps and inclined his head, looking this way and that. Some invisible signal must have responded in the currents of warm air and he set off towards the shadow of the hills. Ryo followed quietly as Judai left the main path, tracking some unknown force through the dust. The blocky buildings fell further into disrepair as they went: a roof missing, a wall caved in, bright blue plaster still adorning fragments of a former house.

After the abandoned village, the foothills held remnants of a much older settlement. Ruined stone walls led up towards dark entrances curved into the hills. There was no birdsong here, just the oppressive closeness of the day. Judai knelt, his head bowed in contemplation. Ryo leant against a cool outcropping of rock, crossed his arms, and watched for a while.

Eventually Judai spoke.

“Something terrible happened here. Can you feel it?”

Ryo stepped forward to stand next to Judai. He remained silent.

“I can.” Judai looked up at Ryo, his face set hard. “The sand smells of their blood.”

Ryo put a hand on Judai’s shoulder. “It must have been a long time ago.”

“That doesn’t make it any less important.” Judai knelt forward and ran the grit through his fingers. Ryo’s hand slipped away. Judai inclined his head, directing a question back towards Ryo, but not enough to show his face. “How did it feel, when you were fighting in the underground? When your opponents fell?”

“Alive,” said Ryo. The memories were still fresh and he didn’t have to think for long to describe it. “Validated. Greater.”

“And after?”

“I take no pride in those feelings, if that’s what you’re asking.” Ryo watched the heat haze shimmering along the base of the hill. “My opponents meant nothing to me but a stepping stone on my path to victory.”

“You don’t regret it, then?”

“What use is regret?” Ryo folded his arms. “The path I took cannot be changed. And the path ahead may be more clearly seen in light of my experiences.”

“You learned from your mistakes,” Judai said softly.

“Not all of them,” said Ryo. “I did agree to accompany Fubuki on this trip, after all.”

Judai laughed, short and sharp. Forced as it seemed, the sound still put a smile on Ryo’s face. Judai scrambled to his feet and locked his eyes with Ryo’s, smiling wide, the impact almost staggering Ryo. “We’d better get back so we don’t miss the bus. He’s booked us all for musical dinner theatre tonight.”

“Oh no,” Ryo’s smile dropped in mock – or real – horror. “He’s going to sing.”

* * *

Dinner was, to start with, not an unpleasant affair. Fubuki had bullied everyone into dressing up for the occasion, and Ryo had to admit that they all scrubbed up well. Judai in a white dinner jacket was especially pleasing on the eye. Ryo suspected that he had borrowed it from one of the cruise staff.

The food was edible, if not completely to Ryo’s taste. Entertainers on stage performed songs from Broadway shows. The background noise cut down on the amount of small talk Ryo would otherwise be forced to make. The gang had questioned his and Judai’s absence from the temple earlier, scolding them for missing the underground duel arena and the register of kings with its erased cartouches, but had seemingly been satisfied with a grin from Judai and an embarrassed explanation that they had gotten lost.

It all went to pot after dessert. With the food cleared from the table, and spirits high, the band struck up the opening chords of something that made Fubuki stiffen next to Ryo. A male soloist began a determined but simple melody. Ryo tried to place it from the recordings Fubuki had inflicted upon him. He got it, at last, with the word “barricades.”

“…the right to be free…” Fubuki murmured.

“Fubuki,” Ryo leant in to say. “This isn’t a singalong performance, you know.”

But it was too late. Fubuki stood, gesturing with clenched fist, passionately joining in with the singers on stage. Ryo kept his arms firmly planted on the table lest Fubuki decide to use the tablecloth for an impromptu flag. “Sit down,” he hissed.

Fubuki continued, lost in song. To Ryo’s chagrin a number of diners at nearby tables joined him. The song was mercifully short, at least. Fubuki clapped and whooped approval as the band launched into another song.

This one was upbeat and the lyrics, though nonsensical, seemed much more suited to a vacation theme. The singers on stage clapped their hands high, encouraging the audience to do likewise. The call came to “Sing along if you know the words!” – and Fubuki apparently did.

Ryo exchanged a pained glance with Asuka. She sank down further in her seat.

Fubuki pulled Manjoume to his feet. While Manjoume evidently didn’t know the meaning of “Changity-chang sha-bop” any more than Ryo, he let Fubuki twirl him around, red-faced.

“Or at the high school dance…” Fubuki ensnared Judai next, Judai’s obliging smile imperceptibly uncomfortable.

“Where you can find romance…” Asuka saw it coming too late, and her refusals counted for nothing as Fubuki pushed her bodily at Judai.

“Maybe it might be l-” Ryo got up and walked out, the gleeful chorus ringing in his ears.

* * *

Ryo sat on his bed, his long legs stretched out and his back straight. Discarded duel magazines piled up neatly next to him. Looking through his deck used to be calming, but now it was incomplete, and the gaps vexed him greatly. Such of the Cyber Legacy he had left was behind the game, but Ryo couldn’t bring himself to discard it.

His phone sat ignored. Sho had texted him after he had left the restaurant. Ryo could imagine the relief on his face after Ryo had said no, he didn’t need anything, he just wanted to be left alone. Sho was a polite, even patient, nurse to Ryo. A cordial companion he was not.

The knock on the door, then, was probably not Sho. Ryo ignored it, but it repeated, more insistently. Rhythmically, even.

Fubuki.

Reluctantly, Ryo answered the door, his body placed firmly in the way to avoid an intrusion into his space. Fubuki was alone in the corridor. “Fubuki. I assume the… festivities have concluded?”

“Yeah.” Fubuki squinted at Ryo. “You left without saying anything, are you ok?”

“Was that display really necessary?” Ryo countered.

“We were having fun,” said Fubuki. “Weren’t you?”

“No.”

Fubuki’s eyes widened. “Were you jealous? If you’re keen on Asuka I can work on her. Or if you’re lonely you could come over to our room. Jun and I are going to watch a movie. Titanic or The Poseidon Adventure, maybe.”

“How appropriate,” said Ryo. “The ocean bed beckons.”

Fubuki pouted as he tried to determine Ryo’s meaning. “Anyway, we got you something since you missed part of the tour earlier. Here.”

“I couldn’t possibly accept.” Ryo pushed the bag back at Fubuki. Whatever it contained was probably best left a mystery.

“I insist,” said Fubuki, and with a little more scrambling of hands the bag ended up in the possession of Ryo.

“Thank you,” said Ryo, with hesitance.

“I’m sure it’ll look great on you.” Fubuki gave a thumbs-up. “Good night, then.”

“Good night.”

Ryo shut the door and took a steadying breath before opening the bag a crack. Whatever it was, it was violently yellow. He dipped his hand in and pulled out a t-shirt emblazoned with “Welcome to Egypt! Home of Duel Monsters”. Under the slogan was a cartoon camel, wearing sunglasses and an impractical-looking duel disk. The camel was in the process of summoning a very off-model Dark Magician. Ryo turned the t shirt around. The reverse held an equally vibrant display of the camel’s hindquarters.

Ryo stuffed it back into the bag and buried the bag way at the back of his suitcase.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As this is a giftfic, criticism is not requested at this time.


	2. King's Knight

“Wow, it looks just like Duel Academia! Sweet!” Judai hopped excitedly.

“Ehhh?” Sho squinted at the Hagia Sophia. “Are you homesick for that place?”

“I see it,” Ryo said. “The main dome, accompanied by the smaller ones, and the minarets surrounding… The structure is reminiscent, certainly.”

“I wonder what the Academia designers were thinking.” Fubuki rubbed a finger along his chin. “Perhaps they hoped to evoke the spirit of Istanbul as a meeting of cultures and minds… East meets west, north meets south, all at Central Academy?”

“I’d have expected more exchange students if that were the case,” said Manjoume.

“Wishing you’d had another chance to defect?” Sho’s verbal dig at Manjoume earned him a physical one in the ribs.

“This is a religious site. Have some respect.” Ryo’s tone of voice, if not his words, shut the fight down instantly.

Not getting that particular memo, Fubuki extended his selfie stick and pulled Manjoume and Judai into the frame. “Cheese!”

Manjoume awkwardly gestured at Asuka and Sho. Judai slipped an easy arm around Ryo’s shoulders. Ryo stood straight and tight-lipped, daring his expression to give him away. It was over in an eternity and a flash. Ryo imagined his shoulder retained a trace of Judai’s warmth and he laid his own hand over the spot to keep it from dissipating.

“Shall we head inside?” Asuka led the group up the path towards the red-tinged monument.

The building was undeniably impressive, its glittering mosaics beautiful, its history weighty. But Ryo’s attention slid off the many wonders. Mandated fun had worn from thin to threadbare and he was itching for a different kind of stimulation.

“You know,” Judai’s voice hovered quietly just over Ryo’s left shoulder. “Outside, back in the park, there used to be an arena.”

“For horse races, yes.” Ryo didn’t turn around but he leaned back, away from his supporting stick, wanting to feel Judai’s breath disturb the long hair falling past his ears.

“I bet it would have made a great duel field.”

“Too bad no-one around here has a duel disk.” They’d seen surprisingly few in the city, and Fubuki had banned the group from bringing theirs off the ship. Still, Ryo’s fingers found his deck box in his pocket. It rattled unsatisfyingly.

“My deck’s right here, if you did want to throw down.”

“Mine’s incomplete, as yet.” Ryo started for the door, throwing a hungry smirk back towards Judai. “But I won’t turn down a challenge.”

* * *

“Gotcha!” Judai’s disarming wink almost quelled the bilious desperation rising inside Ryo at the loss. It did nothing for his elevated heartbeat. “That was a fun duel.”

“You’ll find me better prepared next time.” Ryo reluctantly broke eye contact to shuffle his cards back together.

“I know.” Judai smiled as he did likewise. “I just wanted something casual.”

“Is that so? Then why choose me as your opponent?” Ryo settled back on the bench, watching a group of tourists head towards the Blue Mosque. The scent of coffee mixed with cigarette smoke drifted across the park. “Am I known for my easy-going manner these days?”

Judai laughed. “I just remembered your graduation duel. We had fun, didn’t we?”

“Yes.” Ryo remembered the high-five, the contagious laughter, the Kaiser joining the drop-out boy to lie on the floor in view of the whole school. Letting go, the way that only Judai encouraged him, felt good. He’d been on a high for weeks afterwards.

“We should –”

Whatever Judai said was drowned out as the muezzins began their afternoon call to prayer. Loudspeakers spread the evocative recitations throughout the city. Ryo saw tourists stop, spellbound, aiming cameras and cellphones up towards the minarets, while the faithful filtered unhurriedly into the mosque.

It was a peculiar kind of silence that fell after the adhan. The world rested unbreathing in anticipation. Soon the sound of car engines rushed in to fill the void, the urban noise seeming louder than before. Ryo felt his cellphone vibrate in his pocket.

“Fubuki’s trying to find us,” said Ryo, reading the notification but not bothering to open the text.

“Do you want to be found?”

Ryo’s fingers clenched. “If I’m honest, not just yet.”

Judai leaned forward, giving a bright and almost completely innocent smile. “Then let’s get lost.”

* * *

Judai seemed completely at home in the bazaar. He weaved in and out of the packed throng, passing friendly greetings with strangers on the market stalls, waving away unsolicited offers. Ryo, in comparison, had a headache. There were too many people and too many noises and too many colours. The scent of strange spices and grilled meat wasn’t helping. But he could see the market with Judai, or see the Mevlevi Sama ceremony with the others, and the story of a quest to find perfection wasn’t on the top of Ryo’s must-see list – even if he hadn’t been completely infatuated with the upbeat man currently pantomiming the purchase of pomegranate juice.

“Here, I got one for you too.” Judai passed Ryo the plastic cup. He took a long sip from his own straw and exhaled dramatically as the cool refreshment hit. “This is better, don’t you think? We’ve seen so many old things.”

Ryo pointed back at the sign they had just passed. “The oldest market in the world.”

“Yes,” Judai demurred. “But it’s alive. It’s got people in it.”

They walked side-by-side along the covered alley. Ryo looked out for a place to stop. His feet hurt and he was running low on energy, pomegranate juice or no. “The other places weren’t bereft of people. Our tour group, of course, and others.” He found a spot of wall that wasn’t covered in hanging fabrics or musical instruments and leant against it. Judai followed suit.

“They were still dead places.” Judai looked up and scrunched his nose. “At the Hagia Sophia, all I saw was fire. In the park outside? Slaughter. Kings…” Judai paused, and Ryo thought he wasn’t going to continue, but a sip of iced juice later he did. “Kings rule by fear and death. That’s not something to be celebrated.”

Ryo leaned a little heavier on his stick. “It’s the job of museums and monuments to tell uncomfortable truths.”

“What about if history’s still being written? What if the king lives?” Judai fixed Ryo with an intense stare, and Ryo felt himself falling.

“Then he still has the choice of how he will be remembered.”

“Thousands were killed here, in the name of security, and unity. And even if… if with the king’s power, more were saved… How much does it take to make it right?”

“You can’t take a scale and weigh good deeds against bad.” Ryo crossed his arms, pressing his hands close to his body to keep from embracing Judai at the small crack in his voice. “If you steal a pen from a store, you can return to the store and pay for it. But if you steal a life, there’s no equivalent exchange. Volunteering at a shelter, for example, doesn’t give you credits you can use to throw a brick at someone’s head later, and it doesn’t work in reverse either.”

Judai stared at the shiny trinkets in the souvenir shop opposite. “Then, how do you go on?”

“I don’t know,” said Ryo. “People like us… there’s no simple platitudes to fix us and send us on our way. But we’re here, for good or ill, and we have the power to choose which.”

“What if we can’t tell the good path from the ill?”

“It will happen,” said Ryo, smiling softly at Judai. “But while we’re talking the power of kings, I would much rather that power be in the hands of one who questions whether to wield it at all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As this is a giftfic, criticism is not requested at this time.


	3. Legacy of a Hero

“I don’t believe for one moment you got lost for a second time.” Fubuki narrowed his eyes at Ryo over the breakfast table and chewed his eggs with intent. “And with Judai again, too.”

“Judai couldn’t find his way around his own house if he had GPS implanted in his palm,” Manjoume interjected, waving his fork with assurance. “I’m sure if the Kaiser followed Judai it’d take them five minutes to lose the party.”

“No,” Fubuki tilted his head, bird-like. “There’s something else going on, and I’m going to find out what it is.”

Ryo took a mouthful of melon and ignored them both.

“If seeing me and Jun together makes you jealous, Ryo, you know we’d be happy to have you join us some time.” Fubuki continued with his best seductive grin. “We’ve talked about it, it’s cool.”

“Can we not discuss this in public, please?” Manjoume’s ears did their best job of matching the pool of ketchup on his omelette.

“I agree.” Ryo said as he watched Sho returning from the breakfast bar. He’d taken too long to decide, and from the sight of the tray that clattered down next to Ryo, the decision-making process hadn’t resulted in an optimal combination of nutrients. “That’s too many carbohydrates.”

Sho hunched defensively in his seat. “I need the energy. There’s a lot of walking on the Athens tour.”

“Gooood morning!” A cheerful voice, accompanied by a pleasurable yawn, signified Judai’s presence behind Ryo. He turned to see Judai, rubbing at his eyes, and Asuka.

“I picked up this sleepyhead on the way here,” said Asuka. “I thought I should make sure he eats properly today.”

Ryo nodded approval. “I could use your help with my brother, too.”

“There’s nothing wrong with my diet!” Sho shovelled the chocolate-spread covered evidence into his mouth. “I’m not the one who has to watch my arteries.”

“Don’t take that tone with me,” said Ryo, quiet and deadly. Sho gulped down a mouthful, eyes on the tray in front of him.

“So, who’s looking forward to seeing the Panathenaic Stadium?” Asuka said brightly.

“I may stay on the ship today,” said Ryo, gathering his tray and slipping out from the table.

“That’s a shame,” said Fubuki. “I know this must be really tiring for you. Would you want to join us for lunch at least?”

“Actually, I’ll stay too,” said Judai, rubbing the back of his head with an apologetic smile. “I promised the Kaiser I’d help him rebuild his deck.”

Ryo stopped in his tracks. He didn’t recall such a promise, but even though they were in Greece it was perhaps best not to look this particular gift horse in the mouth. “Come by my cabin later. I’ll be there.”

“Is that so?” Fubuki looked pointedly between the two of them.

“If Aniki’s staying, I will too,” said Sho. “And I should look after my brother…”

“I don’t need your assistance,” said Ryo harshly.

“No, Sho, you should go,” said Judai, patting him on the shoulder. “Have fun! Send me and Kenzan lots of pictures.”

“If you say so,” said Sho, uncertain. “He has to take his pills at lunchtime, with food. And –”

“I can handle it,” Judai said with a grin.

“You two be sure to send us pictures, too,” said Fubuki with a wink.

Ryo pushed his tray into the rack with unnecessary force.

* * *

He wasn’t expecting Judai to actually show up, but half an hour later, there was a knock at Ryo’s door. He scrambled to answer it in a most undignified fashion. “Judai. Please, come in.”

“So this is how you live!” Judai laughed. “It’s cool to see that even the great Kaiser has dirty socks.”

“They must be Sho’s,” said Ryo, the tips of his ears pinkening as he scooped them up and put them in the dirties bag.

“Whatever you say,” said Judai, hopping onto Ryo’s bed. “So, where do you keep the cards?”

“You actually want to do this?” Ryo looked over at Judai, just a little disappointed.

“Well, yes!” Judai crossed his legs, wriggling around to get comfortable. “I want a rematch, and I figure if you knew what you wanted to do with your deck, you’d have done it by now. So, show me what you’ve got, and let me help.”

“Fine.” Ryo pulled the box of spares from his case and threw it and his deck box onto the bed, perching next to Judai.

“Oh, Fubuki said he wanted pictures,” said Judai. “Where’s your cellphone?”

Ryo produced the device from his pocket. “Really, you don’t have to, he’s being nosy and I’d rather not indulge him.”

“Why’s your background the factory default?” Judai poked at the screen. “You should at least have your favourite monster.”

“Why?” Ryo shuffled to lean against the back wall of the room. “It would be distracting.”

Judai leant in next to Ryo, pulled a big grin, and took the photo. “Distracting from what?” He fiddled with the phone and handed it back. “Go on, send it to Fubuki.”

“Well it’ll certainly be distracting now,” Ryo studied Judai’s smile in the photograph. “I don’t really want to look at my own face every time I unlock this.”

Judai had already moved on, scanning through the cards laid out on Ryo’s bed. “These cards… they’re quite old, Kaiser.”

“I suppose they are,” Ryo sighed. “You’re right, I’m not really sure what I want to do.”

“You’re keeping your cyber dragons, though, right?”

“I’d like to,” said Ryo. He picked up Cyber End, watching it flash in the light. “Sho says he only needs the Cyberdark dragons. Though the meta has moved on and I’m finding it hard to make a competitive deck with them.”

“They’re cool, and they like you. That’s important.” Judai picked up a card that had caught his eye, studied it, and dropped it again. “A dual legacy, huh?”

“I suppose so.” Tight-lipped, Ryo watched Judai’s fingers move. “Though I’m not sure I want that. My legacy… ended over a year ago. Some would say I should retire the cyber style and start from square one. Or not at all.”

“I don’t think you’re ready to give up.” Judai leaned forward, peeking into Ryo’s peripheral vision. “There’s a reason you came back, right?”

“I don’t know.” Ryo laughed. “Spite, maybe.”

Judai regarded Ryo with serious eyes. “Maybe that’s what it feels like right now.”

The eye contact ignited fire in Ryo’s stomach, and he kept it for as long as he dared. “No, not really.” Right now all he wanted was to sweep the cards off the bed, have Judai pin Ryo’s hands to his pillow, and engage in dueling of an altogether different nature. He picked up his deck and shuffled slowly through it. “You told Sho to listen to what the cyberdarks wanted. My deck… my deck has stopped talking to me.  I don’t even know if it wants to win.”

“Your deck won’t answer you now, whether you complete it or not.” Judai spoke softly and deliberately. “Your deck is your heart, and your heart’s broken.”

“I’m not feeble!” Ryo fixed Judai with a challenging stare. “Don’t treat me like-”

“Not your physical heart.” Judai shifted to face Ryo, and placed a hand on his chest. “That’s healing just fine.”

Ryo held unmoving, despite the gentle pressure jumpstarting his heartbeat. Judai pulled his hand away and continued. “You had fun when we dueled in the park, right?”

“Even though I lost, you mean?” Ryo still hated the taste of the word in his mouth, but he had to admit there was a grain of truth in what Judai said. “Perhaps the company had something to do with that.”

Judai shook his head sadly. “Thank you, for what you did in the other world. But you have another life to live.”

* * *

“This is supposed to be good for my spirit how?” Ryo muttered to Judai as they stood in a circle with twenty or so other cruisegoers, watching the instructors trace slow steps across the floor.

“I don’t really know,” said Judai with an ingenuous laugh. “It was Fubuki’s idea.”

“I should have guessed.” Ryo looked around at the audience of mostly female, mostly over-50s. “Did he ask you to talk to me as well?”

“No.” Judai’s feet twitched as he followed along. “I just didn’t want to go ashore today.”

“Oh?” The corner of Ryo’s mouth turned upwards. “Then I was simply a convenient excuse?”

“You don’t mind, right?” Judai gave an angelic smile and Ryo found no, he didn’t mind at all. The dance teacher interrupted with a clap before he could reply, signalling the students’ turn to take the floor.

“How did this go…” Judai placed his left hand under Ryo’s shoulder and held out his right hand for Ryo to take. Ryo did so, and slipped his other hand around Judai’s back, trying to ignore the proximity signals his tortured nerves were sending. Judai smiled in triumph. “I think we’ve got it this time!”

“You’re supposed to walk backwards,” Ryo said as their feet clashed. “Are you sure you don’t want to lead?”

“Oops, sorry!” said Judai. “There’s a lot to remember.”

“Not so far apart,” called the dance instructor. “Keep your weight forward, good.”

Ryo stood, helpless, as Judai looked down at his feet, crossing them one over the other, his torso twisting and grazing Ryo’s own chest. Judai chuckled as he looked up. “I’m getting the hang of this tango thing!”

Ryo looked away in pretense of keeping the correct angle with his head. “It seems so.”

“Let me try the other thing.” Judai dragged his foot slowly up Ryo’s trouser leg.

“Careful,” croaked Ryo. “I want to keep my shins.”

“Trust me,” said Judai with a malicious smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As this is a giftfic, criticism is not requested at this time.


	4. Mask of Restrict

The pool was quiet in the early morning, occupied only by the exercise-keen. Ryo pushed off the side for a final length. His lungs objected. He ignored them. Two more lengths each day, that was the rule. Not one that had been imposed by doctors – they had said to do only what he could manage without strain – but Ryo liked to see the numbers tick up.

Victorious, he pulled himself out of the pool and sat on the side to take a few breaths. He swept the wet hair back from his face as he watched the other swimmers, studying their speed and form and stamina. No Olympians here. Ryo judged his own performance as above average. He would do better next time.

Ryo headed for the showers. Not that there was enough cold water in the world to freeze out the memory of Judai’s body from yesterday, but he could at least get rid of the smell of chlorine. He lathered and scrubbed, paying careful attention to make sure he covered every inch.

He tied his hair back, planning to use the dryer back in the room rather than the lower-powered ones at the pool, and dressed. The gentle scent of shampoo followed him out.

As Ryo left the stairs on the floor to their rooms, he saw Asuka emerging, gym bag in hand. He nodded to her. “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” she replied with a short bow, before heading past him to the stairs. Ryo looked after her. It had been a long time since they’d stood on the dock together, but to think that their relationship had deteriorated to this level of formality was still a surprise. Fubuki, after all, had if anything become more clingy.

“Asuka!” Ryo called after her retreating back. She turned.

“Yes?”

“Do you have a moment?”

She looked at her bag, and back at Ryo, considering. “I was hoping to beat the rush, but I could spare a few minutes. What do you need?”

“I’d like your advice, if you’re willing.”

After a moment Asuka’s expression softened into a smile. “Of course. Would you like to find somewhere private?”

* * *

Ryo and Asuka looked out to sea. The hot tub area was behind them, but it was thankfully deserted in the cold morning air. Asuka had offered her room but Ryo didn’t want to risk sparking gossip, and so there they were, Ryo leaning on the rail, and Asuka with her arms crossed beside him. She looked at him with apologetic confusion.

“You know, if it’s love advice you’re after, you’re really better off speaking to my brother.”

“Not a chance.” Ryo grimaced. “He’d never let it go.”

“Well, I’ll do my best, but I’m hardly an expert.”

“I don’t want you to be an expert,” said Ryo. “Just be human.”

“Okay,” Asuka sighed. “So, let’s break it down. There’s someone you like. You’ve been spending a lot of time with them, and you’re not sure but you think they like someone else, but even if there’s a possibility of them liking you back you’d rather they not say anything.”

“That’s about the shape of it,” said Ryo flatly.

“But you’re still wondering whether you should tell them.”

“Yes.”

“Why, if you don’t want a relationship?” Asuka frowned.

Ryo bit his lip, thinking how to phrase his answer. “It seems to me like if I’m having certain thoughts about someone, it’s inappropriate for me to keep it from them. They should have a choice whether or not they want to spend time with me, in light of that knowledge.”

“Ryo, that’s very noble of you,” Asuka gave a weary smile. “But people don’t work like that. Ignorance is bliss here, I think.”

“I don’t wish to build friendship on false pretences.”

“It’s not false pretences, it’s caring for the other person.” Asuka leant down on the rail next to Ryo, and spoke softly. “Perhaps, as an example… Since I first got to know Manjoume, it was obvious he had feelings for me, even before he started confessing in public.” She coloured at the memory. “We became friends, eventually, but it might have happened quicker had I not been aware of those feelings.”

“Then his honesty made no difference to the end result.”

“Ryo… Honesty is saying that’s an interesting t-shirt, and I wasn’t aware that was your taste.”

Ryo had forgotten he was wearing the yellow monstrosity in public. “It was for the gym. Please don’t tell Fubuki you saw me in it.”

“I won’t.” Asuka laughed. “Anyway, honesty sometimes has to give way to tact. If Manjoume hadn’t said anything I still wouldn’t have gone out with him, but I would have felt more comfortable being around him and I think our friendship would have been the stronger for it.”

Ryo, unconvinced, studied the horizon.

“I’ve had one or two admirers,” Asuka continued. “Personally, I wish each of them had kept their mouth shut.”

Ryo smiled at that. “And have you yourself ever… confessed?”

“Me?” Asuka looked away, her hair obscuring her expression. “No.”

* * *

Sho was in the shower when Ryo returned to their room. Ryo pulled the hairband from his ponytail. His hair had kinked where it had been tied back. He did what he could with the hairdryer but, short of washing it again, he seemed stuck with it.

There was a knock at the door. Ryo took advantage of the peephole, and opened the door straight after. “Judai. Good morning.”

“Oh, Kaiser… Is Sho there?” Judai forced a smile too late. Ryo had already taken note of his unnerved expression.

“He is,” Ryo indicated the bathroom, “but I don’t know how long he’ll be. Would you like me to pass on a message?”

“No, no, it’s fine.” Judai waved a hand airily. “Just be careful today, okay?”

“Be careful? What of?” Ryo watched Judai intently.

“It’s probably nothing, don’t worry about it.” Judai’s eyes slid off Ryo.

“Are you coming ashore today?” Ryo asked. “I don’t much fancy the ‘Casanova tour’, but I would like to see the town.” He left the invitation hanging.

“Probably.” Judai fiddled with the cuffs of his old red uniform jacket. “I’ve got some stuff to do though, people to see. You know how it is.”

“In Venice.” Ryo said. It was confusing him how differently Judai was acting from the previous night, and he couldn’t help but wonder if he had done something wrong.

“Yeah.” Judai smiled nonchalantly. “By the way, nice t-shirt, Kaiser! Dark Magician’s a good choice.”

Ryo looked down, cursing Fubuki’s taste yet again, and when he looked back up Judai had set off down the corridor at quite a pace.

“See you later!” Judai called back, waving.

Ryo shut the door, ditched the t shirt, and started to cram cards into his deck box.

* * *

Judai was nowhere to be seen when they disembarked. Sho looked disappointedly back at the metal steps.

“He probably left earlier,” said Ryo. “I saw him this morning, and he said he had things to do.”

“Really?” Fubuki stared at Ryo. “He didn’t say anything to me.”

“He called for Sho, actually,” Ryo said pointedly.

“He did?” Sho’s head whipped around. “What did he say?”

“That was about it,” said Ryo.

“I’m sure he’ll catch up with us sooner or later.” A sudden cold breeze made Asuka pull her jacket tighter around herself. “I’ll text him to let him know where we’re going.”

The vaporetto was full, and tourists jostled for space at the window. Fubuki and his selfie stick leant dangerously over the rail to get a picture of the group with the Grand Canal as a backdrop. Candy-striped poles sprung from the dark waters, tethering covered boats and empty gondolas. Colourful shuttered houses fronted, water-damaged, onto floating launches and narrow streets. As they neared Piazza San Marco the buildings brightened with flags and new coats of paint, and banners for cultural events. As the canal widened, the campanile came into view, its colours a subdued echo of the country’s flag.

“This is our stop!” called Fubuki, holding his selfie stick in front of him as a marker.

“I think it’s everybody’s stop,” said Sho. They dutifully followed Fubuki, stopping to group up a few paces away from the landing, letting the crush of the crowd dissipate around them.

“So what’s first?” Manjoume asked.

“Well, we’ve got timed tickets for the Basilica,” Fubuki said, “so let’s climb the Campanile first. We’ve seen Venice from the water, now we see it from the air!”

“I’ll leave you to it,” said Ryo. “I’d like to walk around.”

“Oh, would the steps be too taxing?” Fubuki’s expression of concern melted into something else. “We could come with you, we don’t have to do the climb… Or do you have a secret rendezvous?”

“Actually, yes.” Ryo waited for Fubuki’s victorious smile before he continued. “I have a date with a dusty old bookshop where I intend to spend the morning working up a thirst for excellent coffee.”

Fubuki pouted. “At least pick up a romance, then. Look at where we are.”

* * *

Ryo felt somewhat guilty for leaving Asuka in the dubious care of Fubuki and Manjoume, but the feeling soon passed as he and Sho left the tumult of the tourist area and hit the back streets. The sun arrived at the narrow pavements softened and filtered by the buildings around them, and the easy swish of water calmed Ryo’s soul. Every so often they would cross a small wooden bridge towards the scent of something delicious, and Ryo might indulge Sho with a hot chocolate or small pastry.

They found the bookshop after about two hours of pleasant meandering. Second hand or twenty-seventh, books were piled chaotically in boats, bathtubs, buckets and barrows, a precaution against high waters which had claimed the lives of their former companions.

All life was there, in histories and languages, in cookery and fashion, in crime and erotica. The smell of old paper mingled with the damp of the walls and settled on Ryo’s fingers as he examined the stacks.

A strange sound came from the street outside the shop, garbled and electronic, followed by a boom that shook the shop. Ryo grabbed Sho’s hand and ran for the fire exit. It led straight to the canal but that was better than staying. Another explosion. A shelf stack toppled over in front of them, blocking the way. Sho started digging through the books to get through. Ryo looked around. The bathtub next to them, piled half way to the ceiling, was teetering on its unsteady base.

“Sho! We can’t risk getting stuck here!” Ryo shouted over the confusion. “We have to get up those stairs.”

“We don’t know what’s out there!” Sho shouted back. “It could be terrorists!”

The bathtub fell as the next blast hit, its cargo flung across the cluttered room. “Sho! Are you hurt?”

Sho emerged from the pile clutching his right arm. “I’m fine. Let’s go!”

“Be careful!” Ryo urged as he pushed Sho up the steps. They too were made of books, and becoming as structurally unsound as the rest of the shop.

Sho hesitated at the top, his head only emerging into the street, and scanned the area. People were running and screaming in all directions. The air was dark and thick with a strange reddish colour.

Another blast hit, and this time Ryo saw the beautiful, impossible, terrible source. Rainbow Dragon.

“Johan?” said Sho. “No, it can’t be…”

“It’s not,” said Ryo quietly, indicating the figure in the strange mask atop the building opposite. “And that’s no hologram.”

The dragon sent another blast of fire down the street. The brothers ducked.

“Marufuji Sho!” the figure called, his voice piercingly amplified even in the chaos.

“What?!” Sho hissed incredulously. “I’ve never seen this guy in my life, what does he want with me?”

Ryo pulled Sho’s head down beneath street level.

“Marufuji Sho!” the shout came insistently. Rainbow Dragon prepared to attack one more. “Give me Cyber End Dragon, or I will destroy this city to take it from you!”

“Cyber End?” Sho pushed his glasses up his nose. “So this is a challenge? I wasn’t expecting another so soon, and brother, you still have Cyber End…”

Ryo was already pulling the contraband duel disk from his bag and setting it firmly on his arm. “Sho, this is dangerous. I’ll handle it.”

“No, this is my task now.” Sho pulled down the hem of his jacket and exhaled, prepared to leave.

Ryo put his arm out to stop Sho. “Stay safe.”

“No!” Sho shouted, but Ryo was already striding across the street, backed by tongues of flame from the destroyed buildings. He slammed his deck into place.

“My name is Marufuji Ryo,” he shouted to the rooftop. “Your business is with me.”

* * *

“-ser?” The voice cut in through the ringing nothingness. “Kaiser Ryo?”

Ryo tried to open his eyes and failed. He concentrated instead on checking for feeling in the different parts of his body. It hurt, but it was the ache of bruises and sprains, not fire in his heart or lungs. “Sho?”

“It’s Judai.” Ryo felt himself being lifted, his shoulders cradled in someone’s knees.

“Where’s Sho?”

“He’s not here,” Judai said. Ryo struggled to get up but Judai’s arms, and his own weakness, kept him where he was.

“My phone…” Ryo managed to get his eyes open and lifted a painful arm to go for his pocket.

“It’s smashed, I’m afraid,” said Judai, looking intently down at Ryo. “I’ve tried to ring him on mine, but I can’t get through. I’m sure he’s fine. The network’s just down.”

“He was here with me,” Ryo pointed a finger back at the bookshop. It was a wreck now, bricks piled haphazardly where they had hidden.

“They evacuated a lot of people, he might be with them.”

Ryo struggled to stand again. “This morning, when you came to see him. Did you know this would happen?”

Judai shook his head sadly. “I’d hoped to prevent it.”

“Then you know. About Rainbow Dragon.”

“Yes.”

“He took Cyber End, too.”

“I’ll get it back, I promise.” Judai took Ryo’s hand and squeezed softly.

“This isn’t your fight, Judai.” Ryo sat up, reluctantly. “Once I find Sho, I’ll deal with it myself.”

“Then we’ll see who gets there first.” Judai gave an easy grin.

“You’re on.” Ryo smiled back. “Though I admit I may need your help once more.”

“Of course,” Judai winked, slipping an arm under Ryo’s shoulders and helping him to his feet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As this is a giftfic, criticism is not requested at this time.
> 
> Vio dear I'm so sorry I haven't managed to finish this yet!!! There is one more chapter to come, I have a long train journey today so I hope to get to it. Anyway I really hope you enjoy ;u; I've been internally screaming for a month lol


	5. Shining Friendship

An unfamiliar rattling hum hung at the verge of Ryo’s consciousness. He remained unmoving, his eyes closed, analysing the situation before he might inadvertently betray his position. He was lying down, but the bed was too soft to be that of a hospital, and the smell of the place was clean without being antiseptic. A hotel room, then, and one with air conditioning – both of which realisations came with relief.

Ryo allowed the tension to leave his muscles as he listened. Soft breathing came from his left. He wasn’t alone, then, but the other party was asleep. He remembered the feeling of Judai’s arm around his waist, supporting him, as they pushed through the rubble in the street. Judai’s laugh, inches from Ryo’s ear, cementing his will to move his sprained and bruised body onwards. He smiled at the memory.

Ryo’s eyes blinked slowly open, and came to alight on a familiar bush of blue hair. He lifted a hand to rest it gently on Sho’s head. Though he could beat himself up for losing, he’d kept Sho safe. It was strange that now, that seemed to be the important thing.

Sho stirred, rubbed his fists across tired eyes. Ryo dropped his hand.

“You’re awake,” said Sho, his voice dry and sleepy.

“You’re okay,” said Ryo with a soft smile. Sho slapped him on the arm with a petulant pout. Ryo took that to mean Sho’s arm had recovered from the hit it had taken in the bookshop.

“You can’t just go strolling into war zones any more.”

“I think in this case, the war zone strolled into us.”

“He knew my name.” Sho squinted over the top of his glasses at Ryo. “What happened out there? I couldn’t get through, there was some kind of barrier, and then they came to evacuate everyone. They’re saying it was a gas leak, can you believe that?”

“I suppose they’re trying to keep people calm.” Ryo thought back to Samejima’s many cover-ups, some of which he had helped maintain – out of what? Genuine belief in that course of action? Respect for his teacher? A desire to protect his legacy?

“It was too late for calm,” Sho sniffed. He picked up the empty glass from Ryo’s bedside and padded to the bathroom to fill it with fresh water.

Ryo turned on the television and flicked through the channels until he found the local news. It was as Sho had said, something bland about a gas leak, and pictures of the damaged square which didn’t look as bad as he remembered. He checked the date, too: a full day had passed.

“We’re still in Venice?” Ryo called to Sho. “We’ve missed the boat.”

Sho returned with the water, and Ryo drained it gratefully with his medication. “Asuka says we can get the train to Rome to meet it, if you’re well enough to travel.”

“Asuka’s still here?” Ryo swung his legs over the side of the bed and tested his feet gingerly on the floor. It hurt, but it was nothing he couldn’t work through.

“Everyone is,” said Sho. He slipped under Ryo’s arm to help him to the bathroom. “They didn’t want to leave without you and Judai.”

“And Judai…?”

“Still missing.”

Ryo looked down at Sho, his brother’s face turned away. “He’s fine. I saw him after the duel.”

“You did?” Sho said uncertainly. “Why didn’t he come back with you?”

“He’s looking for our enemy,” said Ryo, stiffly extricating himself from Sho’s supporting arm. “He’ll catch up with us when he means to.”

Sho sighed, and Ryo decided to use one of Fubuki’s tactics, the plausible exaggeration. “His first thought was to call you. I’m sure you’ll be first to hear when he gets back.”

* * *

The hotel corridor was suspiciously quiet, for saying that the door at Ryo’s fingertips currently belonged to one Tenjoin Fubuki. Ryo took a moment to prepare himself. As good a friend as Fubuki was, he was still a typhoon of emotion that, left unchecked, could wreak a vast swathe of destruction across Ryo’s normally isolated psyche. Yet somehow, sometimes, Ryo found himself craving that particular touch. He knocked on the door.

“Hello?” Manjoume’s voice called from inside. Of course Fubuki wouldn’t be alone.

“It’s Ryo.”

The door opened soon after, revealing Manjoume’s keen grey eyes. “Kaiser!”

“Manjoume-kun. Is Fubuki there?” Ryo almost stepped back, expecting Fubuki to come barrelling out at the sound of his name, but he remained unassaulted in the corridor.

Manjoume looked back into the room, and the door swung a little further closed. “He… isn’t available right now.”

“Have I caught you at a bad time?” Ryo observed that Manjoume was fully clothed, thankfully, but there was no telling when and where Fubuki would choose to disrobe, and that view surely wouldn’t hasten Ryo’s healing process.

“It’s not the best,” admitted Manjoume. “I’ll tell him you’re awake.”

“It’s okay, Jun,” Fubuki sounded muffled. “I want to see Ryo.”

Manjoume paused, looking back at Fubuki, before swinging the door open for Ryo to slip inside.

It was dim inside, save for the bedside lights. The curtains had not yet been pulled aside. Fubuki was wrapped in the duvet, nesting like so many layers of cupcake frosting.

“Are you decent under there?” asked Ryo. He perched on the bed to get a closer look at his friend’s face. Fubuki’s eyes were puffy and reddened.

“Am I ever?” Fubuki grinned, though at a fraction of his usual power. “Want to come in here with me and find out?”

“I’m fine out here, thanks,” said Ryo, with a glance at Manjoume hovering nervously at the end of the bed. “So what happened, I’ve been out for twenty-four hours and you revert to your larval stage?”

“Bloop,” said Fubuki with a sniff.

Ryo regarded him with a level stare. “Manjoume-kun, would you go and buy Fubuki a coffee?”

Manjoume pointed at the shelf. “There’s a kettle right here.”

“No, I mean one of those awful syrupy things with cream on top.”

“And sprinkles,” added Fubuki, helpfully.

“If that’s what you want,” said Manjoume. He leaned over uncertainly to give Fubuki a hurried kiss, with an eye on Ryo, and then scuttled out of the room with his face burning.

Fubuki’s hands flapped seal-like under the mountain of duvet. Ryo moved to sit next to him, though the motion sparked pain in his bruised limbs. “Bloop?” said Ryo.

As best as Ryo could tell from the shifts in the folds of quilted fabric, Fubuki had shrugged. Ryo sat quietly, waiting. He figured that just like when Fubuki had returned from the clutches of Darkness, he’d speak when he was ready. He shifted, purposefully bumping against Fubuki, to remind him he was there.

“You’re really okay?” said Fubuki eventually, wrinkling his nose.

“I’m fine,” said Ryo.

“Everything was on fire,” said Fubuki. “I thought – Judai’s gone – it’s all my fault –” His words caught, stuttering, in his throat and he buried his head further into the blankets.

“Judai’s fine, wherever he is,” said Ryo, although there was a twist in his stomach. He’d lost, and now Judai was out there unprotected, fighting Ryo's battle. “And you’re not to blame for some wild vigilante targeting me and my brother.”

“I just wanted everyone to be friends like before.”

“That’s not possible,” said Ryo, not unkindly. “We’re all different people than when we first met, and we have different paths to follow.”

Fubuki slumped over sideways onto the pillow. Ryo followed suit, grateful to take the weight off his legs, and pulled the blanket down to look into Fubuki’s eyes. “But that doesn’t mean you haven’t brought us all together. How long has it been since you and I were like this?”

Fubuki sniffed. “A while.”

“And Asuka and I had hardly spoken since I left Duel Academia.” Ryo thought back to their talks at the lighthouse, looking out to sea, sparked by Fubuki’s absence; and their chat on the cruise ship deck, sparked by his presence. He wasn’t entirely sure when or how it had happened, but some time in their first few days together at school, Fubuki had inserted himself so thoroughly into Ryo’s life that his world had forever changed. He couldn’t countenance losing him again, as much as Ryo might complain about some of Fubuki’s more inappropriate habits. “Though my mentioning Asuka does not give you licence to start setting us up again.”

Fubuki shook his head sadly. “I think she likes someone else now.” He wrestled one hand free of the covers to poke Ryo’s nose with a sudden smile. “And so do you, right?”

Ryo sighed. He’d hoped it wouldn’t come to this, but if that was the bone he had to throw Fubuki to break him out of his funk, so be it. “I guess I do.”

“I knew it!” Fubuki crowed. “It’s Judai, right?”

“However did you guess?” Ryo couldn’t maintain the surprised tone he’d intended.

“And you really hit it off on this trip, thanks to me?” Fubuki unravelled the duvet to flip it, and one arm, over Ryo next to him.

“Of course,” said Ryo, only partly in jest. The joyful brightening of Fubuki’s face was enough to induce a small smile on his own. “Though don’t get the wrong impression. We’re not together.”

“Oh,” Fubuki’s brow creased in confusion. “I have to work harder then.”

“No!” Ryo interjected on reflex. “That won’t be necessary. I can handle it.”

“Are you sure?” Fubuki pouted. “I can be a great wingman.”

“Fubuki,” Ryo said softly. “Every time you’ve tried that, Asuka aside, the person fell for you instead.”

“That’s true,” said Fubuki. “I am irresistible.”

“Irrepressible, more like.” Ryo surrendered to the hug.

A knocking at the door startled Ryo upright. “Did Manjoume-kun not have a key?”

“He did,” said Fubuki. “His hands are probably full?”

The knocking came again, more insistently this time. “I’ll get it,” said Ryo, looking at Fubuki still prone on the bed.

Knocking turned into hammering. Ryo checked the peephole before opening. “Sho, do you have to be so loud? Asuka, hello.”

Sho burst into the room brandishing his cellphone. “It’s Judai! He’s waiting for us at Rome!”

Ryo felt his heart crest on a wave of expectation. “Judai…”

Asuka ran in, shaking Fubuki from his quilted fort. “Get up, brother! We’ve got to leave now if we want to catch the train!”

Ryo was about to shut the door when Manjoume showed up, something more like dessert than drink in his hand. “What’s this commotion?”

“Judai’s back,” said Ryo. Whether it was the relief, the medication, or the lack of food, he heard the hissing in his ears and felt the tingling in his fingers that signalled a fainting spell. He leant against the doorframe, supported by Manjoume, and gratefully passed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As this is a giftfic, criticism is not requested at this time.
> 
> ...so maybe I lied about there being only one more chapter? This just demanded to happen, lull in the story though it is. This chapter, including the title, has been an unfortunate victim of the "if it makes me laugh longer than 5 seconds" rule. I heartily apologise to my dear friend Vio for how darn long this is taking, but still, I hope you enjoy <3
> 
> ~follow for more soft heck kaiser~


	6. Swing of Memories

Ryo’s bag pounded against his hip as they ran towards the port. Sprinting wasn’t yet his forte, the exercise he’d been doing focused on improving his stamina and endurance, and his heart hammered hard in his chest. Even harder when they reached the ship and saw Judai grinning at the top of the ramp. Still, Ryo slowed down when it became evident the ship was not immediately departing, not wanting to appear red-faced and out of breath when they came face-to-face.

He watched Sho run up to hug Judai, Asuka following suit but hanging back; Manjoume giving him a petty punch on the arm, getting a toothy grin and v-sign in response; and Fubuki stopping half way up the ramp to cast a concerned glance down at Ryo. He stalked the remaining distance, stopping a few feet shy of the group, until Fubuki nudged him forward.

“Kaiser,” greeted Judai with a smile. To Ryo’s eyes he looked well, better than he had before Venice: though physically tiredness showed under his eyes another weariness seemed lifted, his shoulders relaxed.

“Glad you could make it,” said Ryo, quirking an eyebrow.

* * *

The ship had set sail for Monaco, entertainment duel capital of southern Europe, and the open-air cinema on the top deck was appropriately showing recent duels. When he’d learned this Judai had made a bee-line there, the others trailing behind shouting questions about his disappearance that went unheeded.

With some creative persuasion Fubuki had managed to secure the group a hot tub, but that meant not all of them could see the screen comfortably. Ryo gladly took a sun lounger some way away and closer to the screen. The sound was better there, and the head support was a relief.

Asuka joined him. “I’m glad he came back so quickly this time,” she said after she had settled.

Ryo turned to look at Asuka. Her gaze was still on the screen, but the match clearly wasn’t grabbing her attention. Ryo could understand why – the duelists were all charisma, and only limited skill.

“I thought he might have been looking for an excuse to get away from us.”

“I can’t see why you would think that,” said Ryo drily, casting a glance back to the hot tub where Fubuki was holding forth on some topic that required a lot of gesturing and water splashing. Judai leant on the rim of the tub, still fixated on the screen, his thick hair and sun-darkened skin glistening redly in the remains of the day.

 “Well, either way, he’s back, and acting like whatever happened was no big deal.” Asuka frowned, and clenched her hands in her lap over her short wraparound skirt. “I’d like to find whoever’s responsible and give them a solid beating.”

“I’m sure Judai had that one covered,” said Ryo, “though I feel much the same. If I could just have found that man first…”

“You weren’t in any state to do that,” said Asuka. “Not even the famed Hell Kaiser Ryo can win a duel unconscious.”

Ryo recoiled internally. Yubel, Inotsume, Paradox… His weak heart was a curse he had brought upon himself, and now it denied him so much. He didn’t want to hold himself back. He wanted to launch himself into the fires of hell, again and again, and break upon those basalt shores. Restraint might keep him alive, but it wasn’t living. He remained silent, pressing the turmoil down into a burning core. Asuka didn’t deserve his ire.

She, too, had fallen quiet, watching the climax of the duel. As it came to a close Asuka covered her mouth to yawn.

“I’m going to sleep,” she said. “I’ll kick Fubuki out to keep you company.”

“That won’t be necessary,” said Ryo.

Asuka gave Ryo a bright smile. “Then I’ll kick Fubuki out so you can join Judai and the others in the tub.”

“If you just want to kick Fubuki, go ahead,” said Ryo. His nose scrunched imperceptibly. “I’m sure he’s done something to deserve it.”

Asuka laughed. “It’s good to have my other brother back.”

Ryo placed his hand briefly on Asuka’s shoulder. “Stay in touch.”

The request hung in the air for a few seconds before Asuka nodded.

* * *

“Kaiser?”

Ryo felt Judai’s presence before he heard him call his nickname. Something warm and prickling teased at his spine and scalp, like an imminent thunderstorm. He nodded, and Judai settled on the empty lounger.

“Aren’t you cold?” Ryo tried to keep his eyes on the duel, rather than on Judai’s bare chest and stretched-out legs. It had been a warm day but the sea air cooled quickly at night, and his skin was still damp.

Judai scrabbled around under the chair and emerged holding a striped blanket, its colours dulled in the twilight. The beginnings of an ocean breeze stirred his bangs. “Not really. Are you?”

“It doesn’t bother me,” lied Ryo. What bothered him more was Judai pushing his lounger closer to Ryo’s and draping the blanket over both of them. Ryo lay stiffly, trying to quell the jangling of his nerves.

“I have your card,” said Judai. “Sorry it took so long.”

“Yes, what kept you?” Ryo smiled wryly.

“A lot of things happened, and then I had to return Rainbow Dragon, and then – well, it doesn’t matter now.”

“I suppose not.” Ryo stared sightlessly at the screen. “How was Johan?”

“He’s well.”

“You didn’t smuggle him on board?” Ryo tried for a light-hearted tone, and failed miserably. “I know you two are close.”

He felt Judai shrug next to him, his bare arm rubbing against Ryo’s. “He had stuff to do, I have stuff to do.”

“Like giving me my card back?”

“Giving you…?” Judai snorted. “No way. You lost it in a duel, you win it back in a duel.”

“Oh, that’s the way it is?” Ryo turned his head and found himself staring straight into the challenge in Judai’s eyes. He held it there, almost nose to nose, coiled energy simmering under his skin.

“Would you have it any other way?” There was a depth behind Judai’s straightforward grin, that strange wisdom that had entranced Ryo more than once.

“Shall we go?”

Judai looked back over at the hot tub. “I promised Sho I wouldn’t, until tomorrow.”

“He’s not your babysitter, or mine.” The contact broken, Ryo moved back.

“Either way, I’ve got some trust to make up there,” said Judai.

Ryo sighed. “I suppose I do too.”

Judai rolled onto his side, propped his head up on his hand and looked down at Ryo with a grin. “But do you think tomorrow means after we’ve slept, or after midnight?”

* * *

Monte Carlo was quiet, even with a boatload of tourists starting to ripple through its clean pastel streets. There were few cars and the air in the hills was fresh and cool. Ryo breathed deeply in the welcome calm.

Getting there had seemed to be more of a struggle than it should have been. Asuka had carefully mapped out a route from the port that took full advantage of escalators and lifts; Ryo had insisted haughtily that he didn’t need to be accommodated in that fashion; and Fubuki had sighed and shoved them all onto the next bus. Somehow they’d lost Judai in the commotion. He’d run after the bus, waving, and Sho had wanted to get off at the next stop and wait for him, but Manjoume had insisted that Judai would know just to get the next bus.

That assumption had proved to be false. They’d waited in front of the Grand Duel Theatre for twenty minutes, three buses had pulled in and failed to disgorge a flaky flame-haired cargo. Judai had texted to say he was indeed on a bus, but couldn’t confirm where it was heading. Asuka guessed France with a sigh.

“What are you smiling about?” Fubuki pushed his nose into Ryo’s face. Ryo refused to back away or meet his eyes.

“I’m not smiling,” said Ryo.

“It might not look like it to anyone else,” said Fubuki, stepping to the side to link his arm with Ryo’s. “But I know you, and you’re grinning from ear to ear. Where did you and Judai disappear to last night, anyway?”

“My cabin.” Ryo instantly regretted answering, given the widening of Fubuki’s eyes. “It’s most definitely not what you’re hoping.”

“What a shame… You should have used Judai’s cabin instead, there would have been less chance of being interrupted.”

“That wouldn’t have been more than a minor inconvenience. Don’t let your imagination run away with you.” Ryo tried, unsuccessfully, to escape Fubuki’s tight clutch.

“We’re going to miss the tour,” complained Manjoume, latching on to Fubuki’s other arm. “Come on, Judai will find us later.”

“I think he’d really want to see this,” said Fubuki, looking back at the dramatically fussy exterior of the theatre where banners for famous western duelists fluttered gently in the breeze.

“He can see it later. They open duel rooms in the afternoon, he’d like that better anyway.” Manjoume tugged at Fubuki.

Ryo took the opportunity to free himself. “If that’s the case, I might visit in the afternoon too. I would like to visit the automaton museum while we’re here.”

Manjoume looked at him askance. “You want to visit the creepy doll museum? After Camula?” Fubuki gave Manjoume’s shoulder a warning pat.

“I don’t need company,” said Ryo. Sho looked relieved.

“Enjoy yourself, then,” said Fubuki, with a smile.

Ryo sighed, seeing the disappointment behind Fubuki’s eyes. He’d have to make it up to his friend later. For whatever reason, it seemed really important to Fubuki that the group spend every waking minute together, but Ryo couldn’t live at that speed.

“I promise I’ll meet you back here after the tour.” Ryo surrendered to the embarrassment of a public hug.

* * *

The villa housing the collection was icing-pink, laden with decorative columns and frosted flourishes. But what caught Ryo’s eye was the tubby ginger cat settling lazily down in the shade of a tree.

“Pharaoh?” Ryo walked over and knelt in front of the cat. “Where’s your master?” He held his hand out, but Pharaoh yawned expansively and ignored him in favour of sleep. Ryo looked around, eventually spotting Judai in conversation with a local, evidently trying to obtain directions.

“Judai!” he called.

“Oh, Kaiser!” Judai smiled in broad relief as he hurried over. “I guess I am in the right place!”

“Actually, you want to be about ten minutes down that road.” Ryo indicated with a wave.

“Really?” Judai deflated. “All these buildings look the same to me, I’ll never find it.”

“It’s the one with pictures of the duelists outside, you can’t miss it.” Ryo allowed himself a half-smile as he looked down at Judai’s messed-up hair and big brown eyes. “Well, you might. I’m heading there later, you can come with me if you like.”

“They’ll never believe I got lost again if we show up together.” Judai teased, smiling back.

“That’s their problem.”

Judai bent down to pat Pharaoh’s head. “Wait here, ok? I’ll come and get you.” The cat miaowed.

“It’s like he understands you,” said Ryo as they climbed the few steps to the museum. “No-one other than Daitokuji-sensei used to be able to come near him, and now he lets you just carry him around all day?”

“We have an arrangement,” said Judai vaguely. “So, where are we?”

“The national museum,” said Ryo, picking up a couple of tickets. “There’s an exhibition of 19th century automatons.”

“19th century auto-what?”

“Mechanical toys.” Ryo strode purposefully across the tiled floor, through the room of religious box dioramas; through the room of Barbie through the ages; through the room of inert porcelain and biscuit to the animated treasures that lay beyond.

Judai skipped to keep up. “Did you play with dolls, Kaiser?”

“These aren’t for children,” said Ryo. “They were designed to amuse adults. To mimic human life, or provide social colour, or highlight other cultures within the understanding of the period.” He stopped in front of a case containing a model of a south Asian woman holding a snake.

“I can’t say I get it,” said Judai, looking around at the glass cases. “What’s a toy for, if not to be played with?”

A bored museum employee shuffled towards them from her seat in the corner. “You want to see it working?” she said.

“Please, yes,” said Ryo quickly, standing back to allow her access. She wound it up and the model started to move, jerkily and with a creaking sound. Still, Ryo was transfixed as the doll's eyelids fluttered, her arms moved to bring the trumpet she was holding to her mouth, and her chest heaved a breath into the instrument. The snake undulated in her grip, and the delicate trim of her skirt shook with her movements.

“Awesome…” Judai leant in closer. “How does it work?”

Ryo leant in too, partly to look closer at the detail, and partly so that he could more easily push Judai out of the way if he started trying to touch things he shouldn’t. The side effect of that was his shoulder pushing up against Judai’s, but Judai didn’t move.

“See her bracelets? She’s articulated at the wrists and biceps, and those are hiding the joint. The mechanism is partly hidden in the plinth she’s standing on.”

The attendant re-wound the mechanism and the charmer started her dance over. Ryo imagined slipping his arm over Judai’s shoulders as they watched. It would be so easy, and almost more natural than the way they were standing right now, but it wasn’t to be. The song was over, and Judai walked away.

“What does this one do?” Judai stopped in front of a small curly-haired doll sat at a desk.

Ryo followed, intrigued that Judai had managed to pick the most unusual out of the museum’s collections, rather than be sidetracked by singers and dancers and smokers and drummers. “The Writer… is it possible to see this one, please?”

“It’s very delicate,” replied the attendant. “We don’t activate him much…”

“But you’ll make an exception today, right?” Judai was smiling as he spoke, but a wave of something hit Ryo and made him shiver.

“Yes, I… I’ll just go and get some ink.” She hurried away.

“Judai…” Ryo started. “Did you just…”

“What?” Judai circled around to the back of the case, looking at the exposed machinery under the doll’s lifted jacket.

“I’m glad you’re becoming more comfortable with your powers, but is this really an appropriate use of them?”

“I thought about a lot of things while I was away,” said Judai, pacing back around to the front. “And I found out some things. It’s not all on me, there’s going to be others who can step up when things happen. So I figure what’s important right now, to me, is to bring joy into the lives of people I love.”

“Judai…” Ryo could hear Fubuki’s enthusiastic cheers as Judai stopped in front of him. “I…”

“And I figure you and I probably need that most of all. The adults we became might struggle to see our way out of darkness, but the kids we were remember. And if we remember those kids…”

A door clattered shut and the museum attendant returned, apologising profusely for the delay. She set out a small dish of black ink and began to set up the machine.

“Just watch this with me, ok?” Judai smiled as the figure of the boy picked up his pen and began, carefully, to write. Two hundred and fifty years dripped from the quill, but the boy’s complexion remained unmarked and unsallowed.

Ryo started as Judai’s fingers brushed against his own. He shifted them slightly closer to his thigh, but Judai found them again, wrapping his fingers softly around Ryo’s. They had parted before, and would again, but for a moment, lost in the past, they faced the future together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I am so sorry at how long this is taking! If you're on board for fusionship alone, now's your time to disembark. If you're Vio, or if you've been picking up the hints I've been laying down, there's one more chapter to come...
> 
> As this is a giftfic, criticism is not requested at this time.


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